Empowering Parent Leaders: 16th Annual Summer Leadership Institute Wraps Up

Mission Graduates’ Parent Partner Program recently concluded its 16th Annual Summer Leadership Institute, a two-week intensive training that equipped 40 parent leaders with the skills and confidence to advocate for educational equity in their school communities.

Building Community Advocates

The Parent Partner Program uses the Promotora model—training community members to provide peer-to-peer support and advocacy. These parent leaders work across San Francisco school sites, facilitating English Learner Advisory Committee (ELAC) meetings, running family workshops, and creating vital communication bridges between families and schools.

“This year’s focus on communication was essential,” says Gaby Rodriguez, Director of Parent Partner Programs. “Our Promotoras need strong communication skills to effectively advocate for families, whether they’re presenting to school administration or providing one-on-one support to parents navigating the educational system.”

This Year’s Focus: Communication and Leadership

The 2025 institute centered on strengthening communication skills that parent leaders use daily in their advocacy work. Participants learned to craft elevator pitches for family outreach, practiced facilitation techniques, and developed strategies for building meaningful relationships with school administrators.

Technology training formed a key component, with parents learning to use Gmail and Google Calendar for coordination and professional communication. The institute also covered professional boundaries, different leadership styles, and role responsibilities for the upcoming school year.

Beyond skill-building, the institute provided time for reflection and team planning. School-based teams strategized their approach for the new academic year while new participants gained confidence in their leadership roles.

Measurable Community Impact

The results speak to the program’s effectiveness: 95% of ELAC members report that participation helped them navigate their child’s school system, while 100% of College Connect parents learned how to support their child’s college applications. But the broader impact extends to strengthened school communities and increased family engagement in educational decision-making.

Our Promotoras return to their schools ready to support other families while continuing their own advocacy efforts. Their work creates lasting change that benefits entire school communities, ensuring that parent voices are heard and valued in educational spaces.

As these 40 leaders begin another school year, they carry forward not just new skills, but the collective strength of a community committed to educational equity for all San Francisco students.